


Cloudy Skies

by kyrdwyn



Series: Skies Series [2]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Lifemates - Freeform, M/M, Originally Posted Elsewhere, bonded characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5078563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyrdwyn/pseuds/kyrdwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enterprise searches for her missing crewmen while Trip and Malcolm deal with life among the Il'endi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cloudy Skies

* * *

_Captain's Personal Log_

_It's been three months since we had to abandon our search for Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed. It wasn't by choice—if the hostiles hadn't damaged the ship so badly that life support almost gave out, we would still be out there. But I couldn't risk the lives of the rest of the crew. I didn't realize that repairing _Enterprise_ would take so long. If I had, I would have taken a shuttle and searched for them myself._

_We're less than an hour away from Trip and Malcolm's last known position. T'Pol has found five Minshara class planets within the range of the craft. I know the Vulcans sent a ship out here, at Starfleet's request, to search for our missing crewman, to no avail. I don't trust them. I'm sure they did a thorough scan, but I can't help but feel they missed something._

"Computer, pause recording." Jonathan Archer looked down at his beagle, who was resting on his cushion, chin on his paws. "Am I just doing this because I can't accept that they didn't make it to safety? Am I wrong to be dragging all of us back here on a wild goose chase?"

Porthos responded by lifting his head and tilting it slightly, brown eyes seeming to say no. Archer got up and began pacing. "Computer resume recording. I know the Vulcans think we're nuts, doing this. Admiral Forrest understands. I just can't go on with the mission without knowing—and not just for my peace of mind. A lot of the crew was unhappy with us leaving Malcolm and Trip behind, and more than one has informed me they would back any decision I made that involved going back to find them—with or without Starfleet authorization."

Archer paused, staring out the window. "We're going to find out what happened to them. No matter what. We owe them that much."

* * *

Ri'vran had merely nodded when Trip and Malcolm approached him about the ritual. He led them into the chamber that was used for such purposes, Jo'eli joining them a few moments later. She smiled at the sight of the two men.

"Bonded and lifemates. A good pairing," she said. She moved to help her husband set up the ritual.

//Well, now that we've gotten Jo'eli's approval...// Malcolm thought wryly.

Trip smiled. //Guess Te'klina didn't have everyone in the clan convinced. Jo'eli and Ri'vran hardly seem surprised.//

//No, they don't seem surprised at all. Think they suspected?//

Trip shrugged. //Who knows?//

Ri'vran and Jo'eli turned to the two men. "Let those who chose to join their lives come forward," Jo'eli said.

Trip and Malcolm approached the pair, both knowing the other was nervous. Jo'eli reached for Malcolm's hand as Ri'vran reached for Trip's.

Three small, shallow cuts were made on the side of each man's right wrist. The blood that oozed from all six cuts was caught on a small, flat stone, allowing it to mingle. "Blood joins, life joins," intoned Ri'vran.

Jo'eli picked up two thin pieces of cloth, dipping each into the blood. They were then placed into round metal lockets. The flame from a burning candle was used to heat and melt the metal around the clasp, sealing the cloth inside. The lockets were already attached to leather thongs, and once the sealing was complete, she handed one to each man.

"Those would be lifemates, declare themselves now," she said.

Trip and Malcolm looked at each other. They had seen this ritual before, but neither man had expected to actually participate. Both hesitated, neither wanting to go first. Once one of them started, there was no going back.

//Y'know, one of us has to start. An' since I did the proposing...//

Malcolm rolled his eyes but stepped forward. "By choice and by blood and by bonding, I take thee as my lifemate, joined together unto death." He let Trip tie the leather thong and locket around his neck. He stared back at Trip. //Well?//

Trip's blue eyes stared into Malcolm's gray ones. "By choice an' by blood an' by bonding, I take thee as my lifemate, joined together unto death." Malcolm tied the locket around Trip's neck and stepped back a pace.

Jo'eli smiled as she and Ri'vran stepped forward to take the men's wrists again. They placed them so the cuts were against each other. "By choice and by blood and by bonding, thou art joined as lifemates, together unto death."

Though it wasn't Il'endi custom, Trip and Malcolm leaned forward and kissed, reveling in the contact and the connection to their home. It was a fierce, sweet kiss of claiming and giving, a promise of more to come.

When they parted, flushed and breathing heavy, Ri'vran and Jo'eli were smiling indulgently. "A ritual from your sky-world?" Jo'eli asked.

The men nodded. "A traditional ending to the lifemate ritual," Malcolm explained.

The older pair of lifemates smiled wider. "Then it is good you performed that, so your joining will be acceptable to your clan," Ri'vran said. "Come. Nightmeal is soon, and we must celebrate."

Malcolm looked at Trip, a little worried. Jo'eli caught the look. "Te'klina will not trouble you. She will see, as we did, that this joining is right. Sky-stranger and Il'endi would not be a good mating." With that, she and Ri'vran bowed to the couple and left.

The newly married pair looked at each other. 

//We really did it.//

//We did.//

//Regrets?//

//No, you?//

//None at all.//

* * *

"There are no sentient life signs at all on this planet, Captain. Nor do I detect any traces of Shuttlepod One."

From the center seat, Captain Archer sighed. "Thank you, Subcommander." He rubbed his forehead. It had been too much to hope that Trip and Malcolm would be on the first planet they scanned, but the hope had been there, anyway. One down and four to go. "Ensign Mayweather, set a course for the next Minshara class planet. Ensign Sato, keep trying to hail them. Lieu...er Ensign Meyer, continue keeping an eye out for those hostiles."

As 'Aye, sir' in three part harmony echoed on the bridge, the captain looked at Ensign Meyer and silently apologized for his slip. The man sitting at tactical nodded, understanding. He, too, wished Lieutenant Reed were still on the ship.

Archer got up, keenly feeling the loss of his best friend. It was bad enough losing one member of his crew, but not to have Trip to talk to about it, as well, was killing him. Porthos was a great listener, but he couldn't joke Archer out of a funk the way Trip could. "I'll be in my ready room. Call me when we're within scanning distance of the next planet. Subcommander, you have the bridge."

* * *

Two male bodies, naked except for the lifemate necklaces, lay on the pallet, curled against each other in the aftermath of passion. A larger pallet had replaced the two small ones in the cavern during the nightmeal, and both men were enjoying the extra room even with both of them in the bed.

Malcolm shivered and Trip reached down to pull the blanket higher. He kissed the younger man on the forehead gently, teasing a smile from his lover's lips.

//And here I would have thought that you were completely straight as a line. Guess I should have delved a little deeper into your mind, love.//

Trip chuckled. //A man's gotta have some secrets before he's married. You weren't exactly a blushing virgin either.//

Malcolm stretched, letting one leg lazily slid between Trip's. //You know what they say about the British school system, and not all of it is rumor—or unwilling.//

//I always wondered.// Trip thought, trailing a finger down Malcolm's chest. //Damn, we could've done this months ago.//

//Good things come to those who wait?//

//Hmm...and come you did, darlin'.//

//So did you, as I recall.// Malcolm said with a smile. //You know, Jo'eli reminded me before we left nightmeal that it's customary for a newly wedded couple to remain in their chambers for at least two cycles.//

//Huh. Not quite an Earth honeymoon, but I won't complain about the company.//

//Whatever shall we do to pass the time, though?// Malcolm asked his new husband with a sly grin, his hand sliding down Trip's body.

//Looks like you've got an idea, Malcolm Tucker.//

//Oh, that I do, Charlie Reed.//

* * *

_Captain's Personal Log_

_It's been a month since we've started this search. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to go directly to each planet, meaning we've only covered three of the five. We have, on the bright side, met some new species that are friendly in this area, and managed to map a few new nebula. Yet each time we survey a planet and come up empty on our goal, the mood on the ship gets a little darker. I'm afraid that if we don't find them after the fifth planet, I'm going to have to a hold a wake._

The wall com beeped at him. "Computer, pause recording." Archer got off his bed, where he'd been scratching Porthos' ears, and hit the button. "Archer here."

T'Pol's cool voice floated into the room. "Captain, preliminary scans of the Minshara class planet indicate that the shuttle may have landed there."

"I'll be right there, Archer out." He turned back to Porthos. "We may have found them, boy."

Porthos perked up at the happy note in Archer's voice. The man himself felt like a twenty-pound weight had been removed from his shoulders. It's just preliminary, he reminded himself. There are no guarantees that they're even alive.

But it was more news than they'd had in four months.

* * *

Shuttlepod Two landed a few meters away from the cave where Shuttlepod One was apparently residing. Scans of the area had revealed sentient beings living in the cavern complex less than a meter from the shuttle cave, but no one had answered their hails. The scanners had been unable to detect human bio-signs among the beings, but T'Pol pointed out that the density of the rock that formed the cavern made any specific scans almost impossible.

Archer, T'Pol, and Hoshi made their way cautiously to the shuttle cave, but didn't meet with any other life forms on the trip. Once inside the cave, both Archer and Hoshi gasped at the extent of the damage to the shuttle.

"Was all of this from the hostiles?" Hoshi asked.

T'Pol shook her head. "No, most of the damage was sustained on impact."

Archer peered into the pod. "Well, it looks like someone has been trying to repair the shuttle, not just salvage it." He pointed out the communications components that were strewn about, including two communicators that had been disassembled. "This is why they didn't answer our hails."

"If there has been an attempt to repair the shuttle, it could mean that the Commander and the Lieutenant are nearby."

Hoshi held up a hand, cutting off Archer's reply. Slowly she turned to discover the source of the faint sound she'd heard. At the opening to the cave stood a small, rail thin being with three ridges around its neck. It was staring at the three _Enterprise_ crewmembers in awe. A similar being wearing a brown ankle length tunic, as opposed to the green one worn by the other, appeared as well, its own eyes wide. The first one said something to the other, who nodded.

Hoshi was already working on her universal translator. The two small beings—children to her mind, though she knew they could be full- grown for their species—were still chattering to each other in whispers, as if afraid to disturb the three strangers.

Archer came up behind Hoshi and T'Pol just as brown-tunic turned and started running in the direction of the occupied cavern complex. Green-tunic continued to stand by the cave, watching them.

"Captain, I think I've got enough to try their language," Hoshi murmured.

"Introduce us, then, and let them know we're here on a peaceful mission."

Hoshi nodded and began speaking in the same language as the two beings had, though a little less confidently. Green-tunic's eyes widened as she spoke, but he replied to her when she finished.

"He says we look like the sky-strangers that came to live with their clan many cycles ago, and wants to know if we are here to see them," Hoshi translated.

"Sky-strangers?"

"If the indigenous population viewed the crash of Shuttlepod One, and then met the survivors, it would appear that they had come from the sky, Captain," T'Pol hypothesized.

Archer nodded thoughtfully. "Hoshi, tell them we are here to see the sky-strangers."

She did so, and got a rapid burst of language back. "Apparently, his companion has gone to fetch the clan elders, to let them know we are here." The boy spoke again, and Archer recognized two words in the alien language—Re'ed and Tu'ker. When he was done, Hoshi turned to the captain. "He said that the Commander and the Lieutenant are away from the caverns right now—hunting with some of the other Il'endi."

"Are they the Il'endi?" Archer asked. Hoshi nodded. "Hunting what?"

She asked, the child answered. "Yv'rikan, sir. I think it's a native animal that the Il'endi eat."

Just then, the other child returned, this time with two larger, adult Il'endi. Green tunic spoke to them rapidly. Hoshi translated, sotto voce, that the child was explaining to the elders who they were. Then one of the elders stepped forward. Speaking rapidly, she gestured toward the living caverns.

"Jo'eli is inviting us to join them in their caverns while we await the return of the hunting party."

"Tell them we'd be honored."

* * *

T'Pol was standing by the entrance to the great cavern, examining some of the carvings on the wall, when she heard a commotion at the entrance to the complex. Looking up, she saw several Il'endi enter the cavern, some rushing for various tunnels. A few had blood on their tunics. She was about to turn to call over the Captain and Ensign Sato when she spotted two non-Il'endi figures enter the complex. Both Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed were carrying obviously injured Il'endi. They headed straight for one of the side corridors as another Il'endi rushed past T'Pol.

Following her two crewmates down the corridor, she saw them enter a room where other Il'endi had gathered. The Il'endi healers, who had been introduced to the _Enterprise_ away team earlier, arrived a few moments later and ordered everyone else out of the room.

Tucker and Reed emerged last, after a brief conversation with the healers in the Il'endi language. Just outside the door, Reed stopped and leaned his back against the stone wall, fists clenched. Tucker leaned a shoulder against the wall near Reed, watching him. Both men were wearing modified Il'endi tunics and leather pants, covered in Il'endi blood. Their hair was longer than she had last seen, brushing their shoulders. She assumed they had abandoned Starfleet regulations to blend in more with the Il'endi, thereby lessening the chance of contaminating the society.

As she watched the two missing __Enterprise__ officers, neither spoke, yet Reed would nod or Tucker would shrug at intervals. Finally Reed's hands unclenched and he opened his eyes to look at Tucker, who smiled broadly. T'Pol raised an eyebrow when Tucker reached out to run the backs of his left fingers down Reed's cheek. Even more unexpected was Reed's reaction—he turned his head to kiss Tucker's fingers. Tucker leaned forward and Reed met him, the two men kissing each other softly at first, then growing more frantic. Finally Reed pushed Tucker away. Tucker merely laughed and gestured down the corridor, away from T'Pol. Reed grabbed Tucker's tunic, kissed him hard, then took off down the hallway, a stunned Tucker five seconds behind him.

T'Pol returned to the great cavern, puzzling over the scene in the hallway. By their body language, she would have to deduce that the Commander and the Lieutenant were now lovers. But she didn't understand the lack of audible conversation. It wasn't logical.

* * *

After explaining to the healers what happened, Malcolm and Trip left their cavern to allow them to work. Just outside the door, Malcolm sagged against the wall, eyes closed and hands clenched into fists.

//I should have known they would try that.//

Trip leaned a shoulder against the wall, arms crossed, looking at Malcolm. //It wasn't your fault, Mal. They knew better.//

//I was hunt-leader, Trip. Getting the hunters back in one piece is my responsibility.//

//I'll give you that—but ensuring that two Il'endi who ought to know better don't antagonize a tl'helic? How do you stop that? Not let them hunt?//

Malcolm nodded. //Precisely.//

//It wasn't your decision—Te'klina organizes the hunts. And you got them away from the tl'helic and back here.// Trip shrugged. //Of course, you know that both of them are interested in becoming lifemates and bondmates, but they're pretty far down on the kt'alini list.//

Malcolm was silent for a second. //I hadn't realized that. Damn. They provoked the tl'helic to get injured badly enough to need kt'alini.//

//Exactly. It worked for Rb'keha and Ul'lenic after all.//

//And us.//

//Yeah, but we weren't planned, you know.//

Malcolm nodded again. //I know. Can't say I really regret it, though.//

//Me either.// Trip regarded his lifemate with fond exasperation. //Mal, I know you take responsibility for other people's well being seriously, but there are times when there simply isn't anything you can do to stop someone from being an idiot.//

Malcolm opened his eyes and looked at Trip. //Like that time you decided to —//

Trip smiled broadly. //Yeah, like that. Or any time I let my mouth run ahead of my brain.// Trip reached out to run the backs of his fingers down Malcolm's right cheek. //Don't ever stop caring about people, Mal. Just...try not to take it to heart so much, please?//

Malcolm turned his head to kiss the fingers. //I'll try, love. Except where you're involved.//

//I can live with that.// Trip leaned closer to Malcolm, who met him halfway for a light kiss that soon turned passionate, both men feeding each other's desire, as they so often did. Then Malcolm pushed Trip away.

//Whad'you do that for?//

//We're covered in blood and sweat. I need a wash.//

Trip laughed and made an 'after you' gesture down the corridor to the bathing pool. //By all means, wouldn't want a dirty Malcolm Reed in my bed.//

Malcolm's eyes darkened to near black and he grabbed the front of Trip's tunic, pulling the man in for a hot, fierce kiss that had the engineer reeling. //How about having me in the bathing pool?// he asked as he took off down the hallway.

* * *

Te'klina was waiting for them in their living cavern when finally made it out of the bathing pool. Malcolm merely nodded at her as he crossed the cavern to retrieve a clean tunic. Trip was a bit more cordial to the Il'endi woman, nodding at her. "Te'klina. What brings you by?"

"I wished to tell Re'ed that it is not his fault that Ba'tsil and Er'lecn are injured. They were unwise in their actions, and he is to be commended for keeping them alive until the healer got to them."

Malcolm nodded. "Thank you."

"I have also been sent by Jo'eli and Ri'vran. Other sky-strangers have arrived, claiming they are here to see you."

Trip and Malcolm looked at each other, stunned. "Other sky- strangers?" Trip asked. // _Enterprise_?// he asked hopefully.

//I don't know.// Malcolm replied.

"Yes. They gave their names as Ar'cher, Sa'to, and Ti'pol."

//Oh my God, they're here.// Trip closed his eyes, excitement and relief flowing through the bond.

"Do you know these sky-strangers?"

"We do," Malcolm replied. "They are friends."

Te'klina nodded. "There is to be a feast tonight in their honor. Jo'eli and Ri'vran asked that you attend even if the sky-strangers were not known to you."

"We'll be there," Trip reassured her, though he was glancing at Malcolm. The younger man had turned to the back wall of the cavern and was rubbing his bonding scar. What was worse, to Trip, was that the connection between them had shut down to just a sliver -enough that if Trip wasn't in the room, he would know Malcolm was still alive and that was all.

Te'klina nodded two the two men and left the room.

Trip crossed the room to stand behind his mate, gently moving aside the hand to place a gentle kiss on the bonding scar. "Why are you blocking me out?" he whispered in a hurt voice.

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling right now, and I don't want to hurt you with it." The reply was low, barely a whisper, but the confusion and worry in it tore at Trip's heart.

"Let me in, love," he murmured, rubbing his hands up and down Malcolm's upper arms. "I can't stand seeing you like this. I know you're hurting, but I don't know why and it kills me."

Malcolm sighed, turning so that he could rest his head on Trip's shoulder, arms around his lifemate's waist. Slowly, he let down the barriers that were blocking Trip out and let him feel what Malcolm was feeling.

Relief, fear, worry, despair all were vying for space along the bond. Malcolm was relieved that _Enterprise_ was all right, that their friends and colleagues were still alive. But he was afraid of going back, afraid of Starfleet somehow managing to separate them from the kt'alini—and therefore from each other. Worry over what their friends would say about them becoming lovers, lifemates. Despair that Trip had only chosen him because they were the only two humans on the planet, and now with a return to _Enterprise_ imminent, Trip would return to his previous persona, not settling upon any one woman — or man — giving his heart and soul only to his engines.

Trip closed his eyes, not for the first time wondering if he was going to be able to get his hands on Malcolm's parents to choke the life out of them for not seeing what they were doing to this wonderful human being, raising him the way they did. Making him think he wasn't worthy of being loved.

He also wanted to wring Malcolm's neck for thinking Trip would leave him.

//Malcolm, I love you. I'm not leaving you, not if we stay on Il'endi for the rest of our lives or if we end up haunting the halls at Starfleet command a hundred years from now, boring the hell out of young cadets. I know my past is more than checkered, but I knew what I was doing when I made the vow unto death. Going back to the ship isn't going to change that. And you don't have a reason to be jealous of the engine, darlin'. She doesn't have your figure.//

Malcolm was silent for a long while, still leaning against his lifemate for physical and emotional support. Trip rubbed a hand up and down his back, kissing the dark hair and simply waiting. Patience with people had never been one of the engineer's virtues, but he had learned that pushing Malcolm would only result in the barriers going up again, blocking Trip out. Best just to wait and send out feelings through the bond until Malcolm was ready to talk. So he waited now, resting his cheek on top of Malcolm's hair and gently reminding him that he was loved.

//There are only two people who have ever told me they loved me and really meant it, you know. It simply wasn't done in my family. I'd have to say that those are the only two people I've ever really loved, and the only two I'd ever want to tell them I loved them.// He was silent for a few more moments. //I'd always tell myself that it didn't matter that I didn't have anyone to love. Love was...irrelevant, I guess you could say. Unimportant when measured against my job, my career. Oh, I fancied myself in love a few times, but if I ever thought about it, losing those girls never felt like I was trying to amputate my leg without anesthesia. I honestly think I'd go mad if I lost you, Trip. I love you, more than anything or anyone.//

The two men looked down at each other, the bond radiant with shared love. Trip leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Malcolm's lips, a kiss that turned more intimate, passionate. Malcolm broke it off first, tugging Trip's right hand up to his mouth.

//By choice// he kissed the first faint scar, //by blood// a kiss to the second, //and by bonding// the third scar received the same treatment, //I take thee as my lifemate, joined together unto death.//

//Oh, Mal.// The usually gregarious Southerner was rendered speechless by the British man's actions. Malcolm seemed to realize this and pulled Trip to him for another kiss.

It was much later, when both men were sated yet loathe to let go of one another, that Trip recalled something from Malcolm's earlier confession.

//Malcolm?//

//Hmm?// came the sleepy reply.

//You said there were two people who'd ever said they'd loved you and meant it.//

Malcolm burrowed closer to his lover. //Mm-hm. You and my sister.//

Trip smiled, a little relieved. He hadn't been sure if there was someone to be jealous about in Malcolm's past. He could handle his sister-in-law being the other person who loved Malcolm. In fact, he was happy she'd told him. Malcolm deserved to hear those words as often as he could.

"I love you, Malcolm."

Malcolm sighed, already half asleep. "Love you too," he murmured before falling asleep. Trip pulled Malcolm closer and closed his eyes, slipping into sleep himself.

* * *

Archer looked up as T'Pol re-entered the main cavern. He and Hoshi had heard the commotion in the outer caverns, had seen the healer and her lifemate summoned away by frantic Il'endi, but neither had received any answer to their inquiries or offers of help.

T'Pol came over to her crewmates. "A hunting party returned with two injured Il'endi. The Commander and the Lieutenant were with them."

Archer sighed with relief. "You saw them?" he asked.

T'Pol nodded.

"Are they alright?" Hoshi asked.

"They were not injured on the hunt, but I could not tell if there were older injuries. It does appear they have tried to adapt to Il'endi customs of dress to lessen contamination on the culture."

"Tried to?"

"The outfits were unmistakably Il'endi craftsmanship and style, but not quite the garments the rest of the clan wears."

"So long as Malcolm's not using phase pistols on the hunts," Archer commented.

"He didn't appear to have one, Captain."

Ri'vran approached the trio and spoke.

"Ri'vran says the hunting party returned with injured members. A second party has been sent out to retrieve the day's kill. He's offering to show us around the living complex while we await nightmeal."

"Ask him about Trip and Malcolm, Hoshi."

The young woman asked and received a reply. Again, Archer noted the way the Il'endi had adapted the names of his friends to fit the language. He wondered how 'native' Trip and Malcolm had gone. Was it just to blend in, or were they truly happy here? Would they even want to return to _Enterprise_? It was something he had considered over the months they had been searching.

"He says they returned with the previous party, and he sent someone to inform them we were here. He does say they were covered in blood from the injured Il'endi, so they may be still washing up."

Archer nodded. "Tell them we'd love to see the complex."

* * *

Malcolm awoke suddenly, going from contented sleep to total alertness. Frowning, he carefully slipped out of Trip's arms and stood, listening to the myriad sounds that made up the cavern complex. He continued to listen even as he pulled on a pair of trousers and a tunic. Then he heard it—Captain Archer's voice echoing down the hallway, asking Hoshi to ask Ri'vran a question. They were here. _Enterprise_ was really here. Smiling, he walked back to the pallet and yanked the blankets off Trip.

//Damn it, Mal!// came the sleepy and affronted thought. //Quit stealing the covers!//

//Shut up and listen!// Malcolm ordered.

Trip obeyed, confused by the smile on Malcolm's face. Then he, too, heard it. Hoshi's alto voice echoing in the corridor, followed by Jon Archer's tenor. From the questions, they were on a tour of the complex.

//They're really here,// Trip practically whispered in awe.

Malcolm nodded, still smiling.

//Think we should go out an' see'em?//

//Not until you put some clothes on, love.// Malcolm pointed out.

Trip had the grace to blush. //Oh yeah.//

//Besides,// Malcolm added as he watched his lifemate pad naked across the room to the clothes chest, //it's almost time for nightmeal. We can meet up with them in the great hall, after we check on Ba'tsil and Er'lecn.//

//Malcolm, are we going to tell them about the kt'alini? About this?// Trip made a gesture in the air to indicate their bond and the telepathic conversation. //About us?//

Malcolm sighed. //I don't know, Trip. I'd almost rather hold off telling anyone in Starfleet about the kt'alini until we have to. As for us...I don't want to hide our marriage.//

Trip, now dressed, came over to his lifemate. He picked up Malcolm's right hand and kissed the scars from the ritual. //Neither do I, darlin'. But at the same time, you know Starfleet...//

//Ah, yes. The official policy in theory is tolerance, the unofficial policy in practice is 'don't ask-don't tell.'//

//Exactly.//

//So what then?//

//I don't know, Mal. Guess we'll just have to play it by ear. At least our quarters are close by each other.//

//I much prefer sharing quarters, truth be told.//

Trip leaned down and kissed his lifemate. //Me too.//

* * *

Jonathan Archer was examining the contents of a serving plate on one of the tables in the great hall, lost in thought. It had been a few hours since the Il'endi had informed them that Trip and Malcolm were here, but he hadn't seen either man. If T'Pol hadn't said she had seen them, he would have questioned the Il'endi's motives in helping them. He was just about to ask Hoshi to question Ri'vran again when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Good thing you didn't bring Porthos 'cause the Il'endi might think he was yv'rikan bait."

The amused Southern drawl was unmistakably that of his best friend. Archer turned to see Trip standing behind him, arms crossed over his chest and a smile on his face. His hair was longer, and T'Pol was right about the outfits, but it was Trip.

"Trip!"

The two friends embraced, both relieved the other was alive and well. Archer pulled back, leaving his hands on Trip's upper arms. "It's good to see you again...I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner."

Trip shrugged. "I know, Cap'n. We survived, thanks to the Il'endi."

"Going native, Commander Tu'ker?" Archer asked with a smile, his eyes indicating the outfit. "And where's Malcolm?"

"Our uniforms couldn't be saved, Cap'n. So, we adapted to Il'endi ways." Trip chuckled. "You should see Malcolm hunting with a spear and bow n' arrow. I swear he likes 'em better than phase pistols."

Archer smiled, inwardly relieved that his officers were sticking to strictly Il'endi technology. "So where is he?"

"He's checking on Ba'tsil and Er'lecn. He'll be by soon."

"Ba'tsil and Er'lecn?"

"The two Il'endi that were injured on the hunt." Trip's normally cheerful face turned pensive. "Malcolm was leading the hunt, so he's a little concerned. If Ba'tsil and Er'lecn were Ensigns, he'd be chewing them out but good right now."

Archer nodded. He was about to respond when Sato and T'Pol arrived, and Trip gave them both a big smile, with a hug for Hoshi and a nod to T'Pol. Archer explained about the delay in picking up the two officers, which Trip merely nodded at and said he figured something of the sort had happened. Hoshi started asking Trip questions about some of the thing she hadn't been able to translate, which he tried to answer good-naturedly.

Malcolm was heard long before he was seen, his raised voice carrying down the hallway as he argued with someone in Il'endi. Hoshi's eyes went wide at the language, and Trip dropped his head, sighing as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Even in another language, he can still swear like a sailor."

"What's wrong?" Archer asked.

"Malcolm's upset over the hunt, and arguing with Te'klina about it."

Malcolm entered the great hall just in front of a female Il'endi. He abruptly turned and said something too low for the others to hear, then turned and stalked across the room to another corridor and disappeared.

"We don't even get a hello?" Hoshi asked.

"Malcolm and Te'klina don't have the best relationship and with Malcolm feeling guilty over Il'endi getting hurt on his watch, it doesn't take much to make him so mad he can't see straight," Trip explained. //Mal, you kinda just stalked right past the Cap'n n' T'Pol n' Hoshi.//

//Sorry, but I'm not fit company at the moment.//

"Should we go after him?" Archer asked.

"Nah, give him a few moments out of the caverns by himself. He'll calm down." //I've bought you a few minutes to become fit company, love.//

//Thank you.//

Trip and the rest gathered around one of the long tables as the rest of the Il'endi began to enter the great hall for nightmeal. Malcolm made an appearance behind the empty seat by Trip just before Joe'li and Ri'vran started the ritual blessing. He nodded at Archer and T'Pol and smiled at Hoshi before he and Trip both joined in with the rest of the Il'endi in completing the blessing. Hoshi tried to follow along, but it wasn't in the Il'endi language she had learned.

When the blessing was finished and everyone sat down, Malcolm leaned over to the linguist. "It's their ancient tongue, Hoshi. They only speak it during rituals, such as before meals and marriage and births." He looked over at Archer. "Captain. Good to see you again, Sir."

"Malcolm, it's good to see you too."

"How're Ba'tsil and Er'lecn?"

Malcolm turned to Trip. "The healer and her lifemate had to use kt'alini. They'll be fine in a few days."

"Kt'alini?" T'Pol inquired.

"It's an Il'endi healing technique. Usually used as a last resort when other methods fail, since the side effects are permanent."

//And freaky to those not expectin' it.//

//You want me to say that?//

//Hell, no.//

"What sort of side effects?" T'Pol was asking.

Malcolm's lips thinned for a fraction of a second. "Besides a permanent scar, there are . . . mental repercussions from the technique, which vary from person to person."

Trip tried not to burst out laughing, amazed when he succeeded.

//Mental repercussions, like having a British Armory Officer permanently in my head?//

//Or a Southern Engineer in mine.//

Trip changed the topic to the happenings among the _Enterprise_ crew and what his staff had been up to in his absence. As Archer filled them in, T'Pol watched the two men, wondering about the scene in the corridor. One thing she hadn't noticed then were the two necklaces the men wore—round metal disks, unadorned, on leather thongs. Glancing around the hall, she saw similar necklaces around the necks of other Il'endi, especially those who were lifemates. She also saw some of them communicating in the same way Malcolm and Trip had in the corridor—as if they were speaking on a level above or outside human hearing. One would laugh or smile at the other, or pass over a dish while the other was not even looking, but would take it with a 'thank you'.

She was interrupted from her musings when Malcolm got up and left the table suddenly. She looked at the rest, but they looked just as puzzled as she was, including Commander Tucker. Then his confusion lifted—as if he realized what Lieutenant Reed was doing, though the man was simply walking in the direction of the food preparation cavern.

"Where's Malcolm going?" the Captain asked.

"Not sure," Commander Tucker replied—though T'Pol was sure he did know. The lieutenant had mentioned mental repercussions in regards to the kt'alini healing...perhaps it was a technique that left the recipient with telepathic abilities. It would explain the lack of spoken communication among many of the Il'endi.

Lieutenant Reed reappeared, carrying a plate. He set it in front of T'Pol. "The Il'endi diet is primarily meat, Sub-commander. However, this is one of their all-vegetarian dishes, known as gl'genic."

T'Pol nodded at him, surprised that he would remember that Vulcans did not eat meat and arrange for a separate dish for her. "Thank you, Lieutenant." She saw Commander Tucker give the Lieutenant a look, one that seemed to hold pride in and affection for the Lieutenant. No, not affection, she thought as she ate. The emotion on that look was what the humans called 'love'.

In love, and not just lovers. Wearing the same necklace that many Il'endi lifemates did, communicating without speaking aloud like many of the lifemates—it all led to a conclusion that Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed were lifemates, and probably recipients of the kt'alini. They didn't appear to be telepathic to any Il'endi, so either the telepathy was only between lifemates, or it didn't cross species.

The nightmeal was being held in honor of the new sky-strangers, so throughout the meal there were toasts to the health of the three _Enterprise_ officers, as well as praise for them in finding their lost comrades. All five _Enterprise_ officers were a little embarrassed by the attention. Therefore, it was a relief when the meal was over, and Jo'eli and Ri'vran waved off Malcolm and Trip when they started, as usual, to help clean up the great cavern.

"Go speak with your clan," Jo'eli told them. "You have much to discuss before you return to them." Trip and Malcolm nodded, aware of Hoshi translating for the others behind them. //The shuttle cave?// Malcolm asked his lifemate.

//Prob'ly the best place. Wouldn't want them asking questions about the one bed in our quarters.//

//Good point.// Malcolm turned and headed toward the exit of the caverns. "The shuttle cave is probably the best place to speak privately around here. These caves do tend to echo sometimes," he explained to the Captain.

Archer nodded as he followed the lieutenant. He wanted to speak to his friends without having the Il'endi nearby. He was a little curious that Trip and Malcolm hadn't said too much about returning to _Enterprise_. If he hadn't known Trip better, he would have thought the man didn't want to return to _Enterprise_ , that he was content to stay here with the Il'endi. But Trip's life was in that warp engine, wasn't it? And Malcolm, would he be happier here on the planet, with primitive weaponry? While Trip had seemed happy to see his colleagues again, Malcolm had barely said anything. Was that simply a function of his famed British reserve? Would he prefer to stay on the planet? Or was he simply upset with _Enterprise_ , and perhaps Archer specifically, at the amount of time it had taken to rescue them?

* * *

When they reached the cave where Shuttlepod One was housed, Trip automatically picked up some parts to start working, feeling better with tools in his hands. Archer and T'Pol joined him at the shuttle, and Hoshi arranged herself on the floor near Malcolm, who had picked up a length of string and was working something that looked like wax into it. Hoshi noticed that both Trip and Malcolm looked more relaxed with something to do. She got up and moved closer to Malcolm, watching him work. T'Pol was helping Trip examine the shuttlepod, and Archer was checking the logs on the shuttle to see if the hostiles the two men had run into were the same as the ones _Enterprise_ had run into.

Hoshi watched Malcolm work the wax into the string. "What are you doing?" she asked in Il'endi.

Malcolm didn't look up from his work. "The string on my bow needs to be re-waxed before the next hunt, so it doesn't snap in the middle, leaving me weaponless." He replied in Il'endi, his pronunciation and facility with the language much better than Hoshi's.

"How did you learn Il'endi so quickly?"

"Necessity is the mother of invention. Or, rather, the mother of mastering new languages," he replied with a small smile. "And you did install a universal translator on the shuttlepod."

//Not that we needed to use it,// came Trip's reply from inside the shuttle. //Not with the kt'alini somehow managing to teach us the language.//

//Yes, but you do want to tell her that? She'd want one then...and who would we bond her to—the Subcommander?//

Inside the shuttlepod, Trip started coughing, trying to hide his amusement at the thought of Hoshi and T'Pol as bondmates. T'Pol glanced at him curiously, but he just shook his head. "Something in my throat," he rasped.

Back outside, oblivious to the rapid telepathic exchange, Hoshi was still watching Malcolm. "You don't want to go back to _Enterprise_ , do you?" She blurted out.

Malcolm's hands stilled on the string, and he could feel Trip's interest in the answer. Even though Trip knew Malcolm's fears, he wanted to hear what Malcolm would say aloud to the Ensign.

"What makes you say that?" Malcolm asked, hedging.

Hoshi gestured to the bowstring. "You're acting like you're going to be here for the next hunt. Ri'vran said that wouldn't be for another few days."

Malcolm sighed. "I guess I've just been on this planet so long that I'm accustomed to the routine here—preparing for the next hunt right after the last, sentry duties at night, etc. It took me a while to get used to it, after _Enterprise_ , and it will take me a while to get out of it and back into _Enterprise_ 's routine."

Hoshi winced. She knew Malcolm hadn't been around when the Captain had explained to Trip why it took _Enterprise_ four months to find them. Now that she thought about it, that hadn't come up during dinner, so Malcolm might not know at all.

"We were attacked by hostiles on our way back to the rendezvous point. We ended up spending three months in repairs. Starfleet asked the Vulcans to send a ship, but they didn't find anything. The captain refused to give up, though, and we spend the last month scanning every Minshara class planet within the range of the pod."

Malcolm looked across the room, not really seeing anything. "I'd figured it was something like that."

Hoshi smiled. "You didn't think we were dead, again, did you?"

Malcolm's half smile returned. "The thought had crossed my mind. The Commander beat it out of me."

"Darn right I did," Trip said as he and the others exited the shuttle. "I'm gonna make you take lessons in optimism from Dr. Phlox when we get back to _Enterprise_."

Malcolm's smile grew wider. "You and what army, Commander?"

"I'll sic Porthos on ya. Let him lick you to death."

Archer suppressed a smile as he listened to the friendly banter. He'd missed this these past months—Trip's good natured humor and Malcolm's paranoia, and the way the two men clashed with each other in a friendly rivalry. It would be nice to have his ship whole again. Which reminded him—he needed to let _Enterprise_ know that they had found them, and authorize Ensign Mayweather to set up the 'welcome home' party he had mentioned to the captain. Given the mood on _Enterprise_ the past few months, a party would be the best way to help restore the crew's spirits.

"So, you two are planning on returning to _Enterprise_ , then?" Archer asked. "I still need my Chief Engineer and my Armory Officer"

The two men looked at each other before looking back at the Captain. Malcolm responded first, standing pulling himself to military attention and saluting. "Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, reporting for duty, Sir."

Trip chuckled but followed Malcolm's lead, also saluting his best friend. "Commander Charles Tucker reporting for duty, Cap'n."

Archer saluted them in return. "Gentlemen, it's good to have you back."


End file.
